Eagles less than a week away from training camp

Nick Foles isn't the only athlete in the family. His mom and wife are quite the athletes, too. (USA Today Images)

This is the second installment of a five-part series that will run this week taking an in-depth look at the life of Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. Part I, on Foles' heroes -- his mom and dad -- ran Sunday.

It was just a day or two after the Eagles lost to the Saints in Nick Foles’ first career playoff game.

After going non-stop since late July, Foles was finally back home in Austin, ready for some rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. His body ached, his mind was exhausted, and he just wanted to shut down.

Then, before the sun even rose, his mom said it was time to go to the gym.

“First day back in Austin, right after the season, I was probably up at 6 a.m. working out with her,” Foles said with a laugh. “And that’s hard, to get up at 6 a.m. after a season, but it was just one of those times where I knew that I needed to.

“I don’t get home that much. [Wife] Tori’s from California, so we try to spend time there with her family, and when I’m home I really try to take advantage of it.”

Turns out Nick isn’t the only athlete in the family.

Melissa Foles is quite the workout warrior.

And her 25-year-old son knows that if he can get through his mom’s workouts, he can get through anything.

“Whether it’s workout classes, cardio, kickboxing, half weights, half whatever, just crazy stuff,” Foles said. “It’s funny, but there’s a lot of women in the class, but it’s honestly, very, very hard, and I’ve seen guys go in there, full-grown men that work out all the time, go into that class and leave throwing up. And they never come back.

“So it sort of made sense to me. ‘All right, now I know why I don’t go.’ Because all these women are absolutely crazy when they work out. Screaming, music … but it’s fun for me. It’s very humbling.”

Foles thought he was a hotshot college athlete who could handle anything in the gym or on the track.

Until the first time his mom took him to the gym. Turns out he wasn’t as tough as he thought.

“The first class I ever did with her, ‘OK, I’m a college football player, our workouts are ridiculous,’” he said. “Halfway through I was gassed. Because it’s different. It’s not like sprinting right ahead, you’re always moving, jumping up on things -- it’s doing everything. So it was very humbling, but at the same time I realized I need to mix this into my training because it really helps. I really enjoyed it because it kicked my butt.

“I didn’t throw up. I made it through the class. … I wasn’t one of the ones that left the class. I was like, ‘I’m going to make it through this class if I die out there.'”

Foles posted the third-highest passer rating in the NFL last year, set an NFL record for best touchdown-to-interception ratio (27 to 2) and tied a record for touchdown passes in a game (seven). He went 8-2 after replacing an injured Michael Vick, led the Eagles to the playoffs and was named Pro Bowl MVP.

But he’s no match for his mom, who was a gymnast and cheerleader in high school and is still in better shape than her son. At least, according to Nick.

“My mom, she can still kick my butt in anything,” Foles said. “When you have your mom kick your butt, you can't help but stay humble.”

Mom isn’t the only female athlete in the family who can kick Nick’s butt.

Tori played college volleyball and can give Nick a run for his money in the gym as well.

The two met the first few days of Foles’ freshman year at Arizona but didn’t date until both had graduated.

“My wife, she’s very, very athletic,” Foles said. “She played volleyball in college and then after it she really got into running. I’d have talks with her, ‘I can’t run eight miles with you. I can go two, but you have to do sprints with me or striders, because I can’t do that.’

“But it’s been fun. She’s my best friend and we really get along great. She’s seriously my best friend. Sometimes when I come home, she wants to go swimming right away, so it’s good to have those women in your life that are very special, and I respect them both, and they both can kick my butt.”